Software AG
Business Innovation Forum
Software AG's 4th 'Business Innovation Forum' exceeds registrations by over 40%
Key facts
Company
Software AG is the global leader in Business Process Excellence.
Project
- Audience generation for annual customer 'Business Innovation Forum'
- Full event management
- Pre event hospitality and post event executive dinner
- Pre and post event communication
- Sales toolkit
- Partner management
- Lead generation and nurture
- Post campaign review
Challenges
- Engaging with technical and business audience at the same event
- Small target database
- Venue location required transport and incentive to encourage attendance
- Greater response rate meant revising layout for main session and breakouts
Results
- Exceeded target number of registrations by over 40%
- 80% of all registered delegates attended (20% drop out rate)
- Over 30% of those who attended were Directors/C-level or VPs
Requirements
Software AG runs an annual event for customers and carefully selected prospects. This event is called the 'Business Innovation Forum'. There have been a series of forums running for the last 3 years and Marketing Options International (MOI) have been the partner of choice to ensure each event is a success.
The 4th 'Business Innovation Forum' took place on Tuesday 3rd November 2009. As with the previous events the objectives were to enhance existing relationships with customers, engage with more senior contacts in each organisation, cross-sell key products and positively influence stakeholders including press and analysts.
For the 4th forum a unique venue at Mercedes-Benz World was chosen. This meant that the event could kick start with corporate hospitality that would provide excellent relationship building opportunities from the onset.
Challenges
Marketing Options are professional, detailed and responsive. We always enjoy working with the team who stop at nothing to ensure our events are a success! Marketing Options always help us surpass any goals we set out to accomplish
Brendan McErlain, Vice President Business Development EMEA
Software AG
As the 'Business Innovation Forum' is an annual event it is important to ensure that unique elements are added each year. The content and speakers need to be both relevant and interesting to the audience, whilst also finding an innovative venue with corporate hospitality.
Whilst Mercedes Benz World is a fantastic venue its location is outside of central London. This meant that MOI had to provide transport to and from local stations to ensure this did not deter attendees.
Exceeding registrations meant that rooms had to be changed. The room that could accommodate the main session was too large for the number of delegates so MOI had to find unique ways to fill the space to ensure the right atmosphere was created.
Breakout sessions were on a separate floor so signage had to be created and multiple staff were required to ensure all delegates were helped around the venue.
MOI also had the additional challenge of managing customers, prospects, partners, analysts and press.
Solution
In order to create a successful 4th forum an integrated marketing communications plan was also developed to ensure that the target market was engaged with and touched multiple times. Emails, direct mails, telemarketing, dinner invitations, banner advertising, email signatures and a microsite were used.
Mercedes-Benz World was chosen as a venue and a theme of driving business performance was used. This was complimented by inviting selected customers and prospects to experience first hand the thrill and excitement of the Mercedes-Benz handling track.
After hospitality, the event commenced and split into 3 streams after lunch. Stream A was aimed at business level contacts, Stream B targeted a technical audience and Stream C focused on the applications Adabas and Natural. Concluded by 3 customer case studies.
Drinks and canapés were offered post conference to all delegates. Following the drinks reception an exclusive, by invitation only, C Level executive dinner took place.
Results
The 4th 'Business Innovation Forum' was the most successful annual event yet with a very well chosen venue, more delegates, more breakouts, excellent management and communications throughout.
MOI exceeded the target registrations by over 40% with 114 registering and over 80% attending. Of those that attended over 30% were Directors/C-level or VPs.
